


You Either Die A Villain...

by orphan_account



Series: You Either Die a Hero... [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Brainwashing, Galran Soldier Keith (Voltron), Gen, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Mind Control, Part of this was inspired by the Rakshasa Street Anime, angstier than I thought it would be, the other paladins are mentioned - Freeform, whoops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-02 06:59:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17259674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Sequel to my "...Or Live Long Enough to See Yourself Become A Villain"“Keith, please, this isn’t you,” Shiro begged, tightly gripping his younger brother’s wrists to keep him from stabbing Shiro with his knife.Keith bared his teeth in a snarl. “Please, you don’t know me. You don’t even know my real name. I don’t know why you are trying so hard, but you should just give up now, it will be easier for everyone.”





	You Either Die A Villain...

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, sorry that this took so long, I was originally going off a different idea for this and I absolutely hated it, so I only really wrote out to get it over with, which is the least efficient way to write let me tell you, so it took me weeks to get just to 2,000 words, but then I ended up changing the idea yesterday and wrote this. I didn't really proof-read it, so sorry about any mistakes. Regardless, I hope that it's alright.  
> (Also, I'm really sorry about the title, I hate it, but was literally the only thing that I could think of to name this)

“Keith, please, this isn’t you,” Shiro begged, tightly gripping his younger brother’s wrists to keep him from stabbing Shiro with his knife.

Keith bared his teeth in a snarl. “Please, you don’t know me. You don’t even know my real name. I don’t know why you are trying so hard, but you should just give up now, it will be easier for everyone.”

The thought of Keith really being this way nearly broke Shiro down, nearly caused him to stop fighting as the voice of his brother had suggested. To just let Keith go. It would then be over quick enough.

But then he remembered the shocked look on Pidge’s face when there was suddenly a blade in her side. He remembered the cries of fear and surprise from Hunk and Allura as Pidge crumbled and Keith pulled his now bloody blade out of her side, a sick sort of grin on his face. He remembered how Keith had then turned towards him and was about to attack when a quick blast from Lance’s gun sent Keith stumbling back, clutching his shoulder where the shot had skimmed him. How only then had he snapped into action to try and subdue Keith, even as all his instincts insisted that it wasn’t right to attack his brother. How he should only protect his brother, never try to harm him.

But at that moment, he had to recognize that this wasn’t his brother and he would soon be losing his new family if he didn’t step in to do something.

So he launched himself into action, calling for the others to take Pidge to the medical bay immediately as he engaged his little brother in a fight to the death, everything about the situation screaming wrong.

“That’s not true. None of that is true,” Shiro responded, throwing Keith over his shoulder before sitting on his chest, trying to pry the blood soaked knife out of his hands.

“Oh yeah, then why do you keep calling me Keith?” Keith challenged, tensing and then surging, throwing Shiro off to the side of him, positions reversing as Keith was now on top and Shiro was desperately holding off the blade.

“Because that’s your name, idiot. You are Keith Kogane, pilot extraordinaire, and my little brother.” Shiro tried to restrain the hand that was holding the knife in his left so that he could grab it by the blade without cutting himself, but Keith merely switched hands and stabbed forward, Shiro only just catching his wrist in time to keep his left eye.

“Please. Keith sounds enough like Keithik that I can understand your confusion, but Kogane isn’t even a galran name!”

“That’s because you aren’t galran!”

Keith’s mocking expression turned into a furious one, and he growled as he pressed down with a new resolve.

“I may not be a full-blooded galran, but that does not mean that I do not serve the Empire just as loyally as any other galran!”

Shiro sees his mistake and tries to remedy it. “Well, yes, you are part galra, but you’re still human too.”

“I don’t care,” Keith spat, struggling to free his wrists from Shiro’s metal hand. “I don’t care, now let go off my hands!”

“Okay.” Shiro felt a bizarre wave of calm wash over him and he released Keith’s hands. For a moment, he was confused, but then he felt the familiar purring of Black in the back of his mind. 

Keith immediately scrambled back, alternating the hand pointing the blade at Shiro as he rubbed his wrists. All the while he stared at Shiro in warry confusion.

To be fair, Shiro would be staring at himself in confusion too. He wasn’t sure what he was doing, but running on instincts seemed to work well for Keith for the most part, so that was how he would run to take down Keith.

“What are you doing?” Keith asked, eyes flickering around the hangar as if it might be a trap.

Instead of answering, Shiro spread his arms out as if asking for a hug. He was just as surprised as Keith when he heard the next words that came out of his mouth.

“Do it. Kill me.”

Those seemed to be the exact opposite of the words that he should be saying right now, but he didn’t feel worried about it. Instead, he closed his eyes to Keith’s bewildered expression, for some reason trusting Keith completely. He wasn’t sure why, but he could feel Black purring in his mind at the thought, and so it couldn’t be completely bad, could it?

Shiro heard a flurry of movements coming towards him, though they all seemed to stop just before reaching him.

“Who-- Who are you?” 

Shiro opened his eyes and for some reason was not alarmed to see a blood covered knife inches away from his abdomen, which was protected only by his flight suit and that Keith had already proved was no match for his blade.

“Who are you?” Keith repeated, and Shiro looked up to meet the purple eyes of his little brother, seeing them overflowing with tears.

“Who are you?”

Shiro smiled, and answered. 

“I’m your brother.”

 

***

 

Why was he crying? This was far from the first person he had killed, he had even just stabbed the small paladin just barely without a second thought. So why was this kill so much harder?

_ Kill him, you are so close, just stab him… _ a voice that sounded very much like the Empress hissed in his head. Keithik tighten his jaw and tried to push the blade forward, but his hand refused to move. He had to know.

“Who--Who are you?” he asked as the black paladin opened his eyes and almost lazily took in the knife hovering over his stomach.

“Who are you?” This time the paladin moved his gaze to meet Keithik’s.

“Who are you?” Keithik demanded a final time, and the paladin smiled before answering.

“I’m your brother.” The black paladin said it like it was some casual thing, as if it meant nothing, even though it seemed to mean everything to Keithik.

“My brother?” Keithik whispered to himself, “But I don’t remember ever having a brother.”

_ Because you don’t have a brother,  _ the voice hissed again,  _ he’s just playing with you. _

Of course, of course, that must be it, it had to be it, there was no way that Keithik could have a brother without him remembering it. The black paladin was lying. Keithik didn’t have any brothers.

...But maybe Keith did…

_ He’s only tricking you, you are Keithik and you have always been Keithik. _

Of course, Keith didn’t exist. He was Keithik and he would always be Keithik. The black paladin was lying, was trying to trick Keithik…

...And he was doing a very good job of it. Keithik’s hands were trembling enough that he had to use them both to steady the knife. He tried to push forwards again, only for his body to not respond.

“Why can’t I move?” Keith didn’t mean to whisper it aloud, the black paladin responded regardless.

“Because this isn’t you Keith. You’re my brother.” The black paladin held out his flesh hand, and on instinct Keithik let go of the blade with his right hand to take it.

“Shiro?” Keith didn’t know where the name came from, but it seemed right.

“Yes. Do- do you remember?”

“I-I-” Keithik cut himself off with a gasp as a sharp pain suddenly seemed to pierce his head, and he nearly dropped the knife as his hands automatically lifted to press against his ears.

The hissing voice that sounded so much like his Empress was yelling now, telling him not to listen to Shiro, that he was lying, that Keithik just needed to stab him and get it over with and all of a sudden it was too loud, everything was too loud and it hurt and Keithik could see Shiro’s lips moving and his concerned expression but he couldn’t hear the words because it was too loud and Keith pressed his eyes shut in pain and then suddenly something was roaring and then it all stopped, leaving a ringing silence in its absence.

“--eith, Keith, are you okay, Keith, Keith, say something--” the ringing began to fade and Keithik was finally able to hear Shiro’s worried tone and feel Shiro’s hands as a familiar weight against his shoulders.

Keith carefully opened his eyes first before peeling his hands away from his ears. The ringing hadn’t completely stopped, but the more Keithik focused on it the more it felt familiar and he realized it wasn’t ringing at all it was--

“Keith? You okay?”

\--Purring.

But why would he be hearing purring? It didn’t make any sense, but it was familiar, so familiar--

“Keith? Are you okay? Come on Keith, say something.”

Keithik’s eyes suddenly snapped to Shiro’s and he felt a familiar word fall from his lips.

“Red.”

***

 

Red purred louder and louder as her cub approached, feeling pleased as she felt him relax at the sound.

“Red?” he asked, sounding confused but reaching his hand up as if to touch her regardless. She lowered her nose enough for his small hand to rest on it.

_ My cub. _ She spoke to him, and was mildly amused but also saddened when it caused him to jump and look around.

“Did you-- did you just speak? Or was that just in my head?”

_ I see no reason why it can’t be both. _

“She’s communicating with you through your bond. I-I think that she can help with your memories,” Black’s cub spoke up, sending Red a nod before glancing back to Keith. “If you need me, I’ll be near the Black Lion.”

The only sign that Keith heard was his hand twitching as the rest of him seemed transfixed on Red.

“My bond…” he muttered after Shiro had wandered to the other side of the hanger. “What bond?”

_ The bond between a lion and its paladin. _

Her cub looked confused. “But I’m not a paladin. And besides, you have a paladin already, the one in the blue armor...”

_ You were before. You were my paladin. And you are still my cub. A bond between a lion and its paladin can never be broken. _

“What do you mean I was your paladin? I was born and raised a galran soldier, I’ve never seen you in my life!” Her cub’s tone was defensive, but she could sense his confusion and longing. Longing for her words to be right, and confusion over that feeling. She gently purred to help calm him.

_ You weren’t. You were born and raised on a planet phebes away, it was called Earth to you. _

“Earth?” Keith whispered, the word not unfamiliar and yet spoken like it was.

_ Yes. I have never been there, but it was there that you found my sister, Blue. I unfortunately cannot help you remember any more about your Earth life, but I can help you remember your time as my paladin. Would you like that? _

Red could sense him lighting up at the thought, the thought of remembering, but his face fell and he took a step back, letting his arm fall to his side.

“No, no, it’s not real. It can’t be. I am Keithik, a galran soldier. I fight for the Empire!” he shouted the last part, as if trying to prove it to everyone in the vicinity, but Red could feel that he was trying to just convince himself. 

She pushed her muzzle forward again, causing Keith to take another stumbling step back.

_ No, you are Keith. My old paladin. A member of the Blade of Marmora.  _ She purred as she said the last one,  _ and my cub. _

Keith looked torn, but Red knew that he was close. Close to trusting her again.

_ Let me save you one more time, my cub. _ She pushed, and she felt him crumble.

“Oka--” he was halfway through whispering the word when Red felt the witch surge past the walls she had thrown up and with a feeling of horror, she heard Keith scream.

She frantically tried to rebuild the walls, force the witch out of her cub’s head, but it was all too late, the witch had now made her own walls that kept Red out.

All Red could do was roar as her cub fell to his knees in obvious pain.

 

***

 

The pain was blinding, and Keith-- Keith was his name, he suddenly knew that to be true-- fell to his knees, dropping the knife and bringing his hands up to cover his ears as if that could silence the pain, or at least the Empress’s voice that now filled his head.

_ You fool! I have instructed you specifically not to fall for their tricks, and yet, what do you do? You fall for there tricks. I should have known you would be a disappointment from the very start. _

Keith wanted to beg, wanted to deny her words, wanted to do anything to get her out of his head, but it was of no use.

_ You never should have disobeyed me. _

Keith was suddenly aware of his body moving out of his control. He could feel himself pick up the knife he had just dropped moments before.

_ I had had faith that the memories I implanted you with would keep you an obedient soldier to me, and yet I see now that I was mistaken. _

Wait, what? Implanted memories? What did she…

Her hissing tone seemed pleased.  _ Yes, implanted memories. You weren’t raised a galra soldier, and do you really think that I or the Emperor Zarkon himself would have ever allowed a filthy half-breed like you to rise so far in the ranks as to be stationed on my own ship?  _ She seemed to laugh after this, as if the thought was a joke to her. 

Keith felt numb. All that he remembered, it was all a lie? How-- how--

_ Never underestimate my power, red paladin. Now, you will fulfill your mission,  _ traitor _. _

Keith’s eyes were suddenly forced open, and he was met with the concerned face of Shiro crouched down in front of him, mouth pronouncing words that Keith could not make out. 

Shiro. Shiro. Shiro.

He now knew that Shiro hadn’t been lying earlier. He knew that the only one who had been lying was the witch. So that meant that Shiro really was his brother.

Keith desperately tried to remember, but came up with nothing when he was distracted by his left hand swinging forward to punch Shiro hard in the jaw.

He-- he hadn’t meant to do that. He also didn’t mean to twirl the knife in his right hand as he approached Shiro who quickly overcame his shock and swung his metal arm up in time to keep Keith from slicing his face off. All the while Shiro’s mouth kept moving in 

Keith was no longer in control. The witch, the witch had taken over. She was going to use him to kill Shiro.

To kill his brother.

Keith may not remember Shiro, but he could not deny the overwhelming feeling he had had earlier when he had tried to stab him. He didn’t want to kill Shiro.

He was drawn out of his thoughts as he suddenly found himself dropping to the ground to get under Shiro’s guard and kicked Shiro’s legs out from under him, one of them bending in a way that could not be natural and was followed by a loud snap, causing Shiro to cry out as he fell back and hit his head on the metal floor, dazing him.

It was the perfect time to strike. Keith felt his body coming to hover the knife over Shiro’s unprotected stomach and prepared itself to strike down.

No, no, no, no, no, this couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t kill Shiro, he couldn’t.

But the knife was already coming down, there wasn’t anything Keith could do to stop its momentum, to stop it from killing Shiro.

...But maybe he didn’t need to stop it, just redirect it.

Without pausing another moment to think about it, a moment that he certainly didn’t have, Keith quickly jerked his wrist to change his blade’s direction, the only direction that would insure Shiro’s safety, the same direction as his own unarmored stomach.

For a moment, no one moved, Shiro still coming out of his daze and Keith staring numbly at the knife handle protruding from just below his rib cage.

_ You fool! You traitorous scum! How dare you-- _

The rest of what the witch was going to say faded out as Keith slumped to the side, one hand still on the handle.

“Keith, Keith, oh gosh, Keith, please don’t die. Open your eyes, Keith, I can’t lose you again.” Keith opened his eyes to find his head cradled in Shiro’s lap. Huh, that was funny, Keith hadn’t even remembered closing his eyes.

Shiro looked like he was about to cry. No, scratch that, he was crying, Keith noted as he saw Shiro wipe his face on his shoulder. Huh, Keith wondered why he didn’t just use his hands. Keith got his answer a moment later when he felt a warm hand carding through his hair in an extremely relaxing way. He also was aware of something pressing on his stomach, and knew without looking that it was the cold of Shiro’s metal hand.

“Keith,” Shiro whispered when he saw Keith’s eyes open.

“-i’o?” Keith tried to say Shiro, but his mouth wasn’t cooperating the way that it should.

“Shh, don’t talk. It’s gonna be okay  Otōto, it’s gonna be okay. The others are on their way, they can help you,” Shiro’s voice was thick with emotion, and he sounded like he was trying to convince himself of the truthfulness of his own words, but Keith wasn’t concerned. He felt warm and floaty, and combined with Shiro’s warm fingers carding through his hair, he just wanted to close his eyes and take a nap. 

So he did, and the last thing that he felt was Shiro gently shaking him, trying to rouse him from a sleep he would never wake from.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> There will be a fourth part to this to wrap this series up, hopefully soon-ish.  
> Just as another tid-bit part of the first fight scene was largely inspired by the Chinese anime Rakshasa Street, it's one of the only anime I've really watched it is my favorite thing ever, I highly recommend it.  
> Anyways, that's all I have to say, peace out, and I hope that I didn't hurt your hearts too badly with this fic.
> 
>  
> 
> -MasterOfMyDestiny


End file.
